Long Canyon via the Shafer Trail.

Potash Road (Route 279) is one of my favorite roads to travel in the Moab area; there is always something new to see. The entrance to the road from Route 191 has changed drastically due to the removal of "tailings" from the area.   What are tailings?  Ok, to be blunt; it's uranium poop; waste from uranium mining that was put into a huge dump.  Anyway, before you would ask yourself, "Where exactly is Potash Road?"; now you can't miss it (all those new road signs help a bit too). Potash Road is not only full of amazing rock formations, but has several areas of petroglyphs; there is "Wall Street" which is a very popular spot for climbers who love the 80 to over 100 foot vertical walls; it parallels the Colorado River; there are campsites either along the bottom of those massive rock walls, or along the river itself, and there is the Shafer Trail which will take you through Long Canyon. Long Canyon is what I'm going to concentrate on in this post, well as much as I can.



Jughandle Arch

So you're traveling along Potash Road wondering where the entrance to Long Canyon might be; there's no sign by the way, you sort of have to know where it is.  Big help, right?  Here is the biggest hint you will need, and it truly is a big one; when you see Jughandle Arch, you're there.  You'll see an opening on the right; just go over the railroad tracks (make sure to look out for any trains as the Potash Foundry still uses these tracks) and you'll immediately be on a dirt road.   The Long Canyon/Shafer Trail Loop is about 37 miles of which 28 miles of it is dirt, rocks and ruts; a 4 wheel drive vehicle is a must unless you enjoy taking your car to the auto mechanic.  Past the entrance you'll see another unusual rock formation leaning against a rock wall; if you pass this formation, you've gone too far.  Think of Jughandle Arch and this other formation as the entrance pillars to Long Canyon.




















What is so special about Long Canyon? I'll get to all that, but it reminds me of the first time Roy and I were out gallivanting there. We had decided to stop and check out a dried out river bed; amongst some boulders were kangaroo mice scampering about, and we simply enjoyed watching them. Suddenly this SUV pulls up and about six elderly women get out, walk along the road and stop opposite us. One shouts at us, "Do you see them?", so we shout back, "See what exactly?". "The petroglyphs" one of the ladies shouts back, "No, no, we're just watching the wild life". One of her companions asked her to repeat what we just said, and I swear Roy and I almost fell down laughing when we heard her yell, "Wild life? What the hell do they want to look at wild life for?". The ladies all got back into the SUV, made a U-turn and headed out of the area. There are petroglyphs in Long Canyon, just farther than they wanted to travel to I guess.

Anyway, let me introduce you to Long Canyon with the few photos I was able to take.  Unfortunately, the weather started to turn stormy and there are many signs along the trail warning of flash flooding.  When we heard the first thunder boom, we high tailed it out of there; no way we were becoming a statistic.  Flash floods are nothing to turn your nose up at; they hit suddenly and if you hear that roar, just like with a tornado, it's too late to get out of the way.  So, the trail through Long Canyon is the Shafer Trail; the same trail that goes through the Shafer Basin beneath Dead Horse Point Overlook.

For a complete description of the route, simply click Here.

Around each corner, the view will become more and more magnificent.  Eventually the road will begin an upward climb on a hill where you'll ride along terraces with views of the Colorado River.

Of course the route is full of amazing rock formations, plant and wild life; you'll be entering the terrain of Bighorn Sheep and if you see any, be quiet, take photos, but don't harass them.  There is no camping allowed along this trail either.

Claret Cup Cactus
 

That takes care of our little jaunt through Long Canyon, cut short by inclement weather; just another excuse to go back, do it again and this time to the end.

Mary Cokenour

Rock Crawling Around Black Ridge.

The Black Ridge Recreation Area, located in San Juan County, Utah, is approximately 12 miles south of Moab along Route 191.  You will see a large dirt parking lot with a road leading up and around a small hill; that is your way in for rock crawling, 4 wheeling, bike riding and camping paradise.  If you miss the parking lot, the next turn around will not be until after you have gone done the steep curve of Blue Hill and reach either the rest stop parking area, or the" Hole in the Rock" tourist attraction.  Directly across from Black Ridge Road is an unnamed dirt road which will lead you to Picture Frame Arch; this is considered an easy trail if you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  It is also the exit point which most people take from Pritchett Canyon and the Behind the Rocks trails. 
This area called "Black Ridge" should not be confused with the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area. Even though 5200 of its acres extend into Grand County, Utah; the primary portion of the 75, 000 plus acres is located in Colorado, with the main entrance being in Fruita, CO.

Black Ridge is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) whose rules and regulations should be adhered to.  There are also private property sections along the road, so stay away from these areas;  this recreation area is vast, so no need to trespass.  There are many designated camping areas, some off the beaten path, and many signs letting you know where you cannot camp at all.  By the way, Black Ridge is part of the Moab Jeep Safari, an annual event that takes place for nine days around, and including, Easter weekend.

If you are into "rock crawling", then 1.5 miles down the road from the parking entrance of Black Ridge is an area called "Coyote Canyon".  Even though the trail is only .65 of a mile long; going over refrigerator sized boulders might just take a good part of the day to traverse.   I've seen photos of these vehicles at an almost completely vertical position attempting to go over some of these rocks.  This is an activity that goes into the category of "Oh Hell No!!!" for me personally; you might be of a more adventurous nature.  The BLM allows one group per weekend day (Friday and Saturday) with a maximum of seven vehicles; contact them for registration and fees. 

At the three mile mark is Area BFE, a privately owned, extreme trail park for 4 wheelers.  The trails, with names like Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Strike Ravine and LockJaw, are open year round, and free to the public.  Occasionally there are special events and a fee will be charged.



Ridge View to Arches National Park
 

As we drove along Black Ridge Road, we saw a road leading off here and there, that we put off to exploring on another day; I believe we even saw an abandoned mine entrance at one point.  Climbing upwards, you will get better and better views of the La Sal Mountains; on one ridge we were able to see clear into Arches National Park.  Unfortunately the SUV decided to act up; hint, when it is summertime in the desert, make sure you have your coolant at the proper level.  Luckily there was a road crew down at the parking area and they were nice enough to fill up the tank at no charge.  Thanks guys!!!



La Sal Mountains in background
 

Looking for adventurous activity in San Juan County, but not too far away from the civilization of Moab; consider visiting Black Ridge Recreation Area.  I'm looking forward to going back and seeing where some of those side roads go; never know what you'll find.

Mary Cokenour

Echo...Echo...Echo Basin.

The Echo Basin Road (CR 44) is a north turn from Highway 160 about 3 miles east of Mancos; it's one of those roads that Roy and I always said we would "find out where it goes" one day.  Follow the paved road until it splits; bear to the right and go around the Echo Basin Ranch and Resort and continue until the road splits again.  Now this is where the fun is really going to start as you have two choices; left to FR 331 or right to FR 566.  Roy and I chose FR 566 for one simple reason, it did not look as rutted and muddy as FR 331.  This was the early spring when we were there, and snow was still on the road here and there; it got worse as we climbed higher on FR 566 and eventually had to turn back.  Now when the weather is warmer though, the snow has melted and the roads are completely clear and dry; the options increase.  Camping on one of the side roads you'll pass; one of the camping spots on FR 566 itself; hike the trails or just keep on driving till you can see Mount Hesperus (13,232 feet high) itself.  One of the camping spots we passed by reminded me of a mini-Stonehenge by the way the stones were arranged around the obviously burned area which must have been a fire pit of sorts.





Weber Reservoir
 

You will pass Weber Reservoir on the way to the FR 331/FR 566 split; stay on the northern portion of FR 566, as it becomes a loop around Burnt Ridge.  You'll be on the eastern side of Burnt Ridge, but have a western view of Montezume Valley, Mesa Verde and Sleeping Ute Mountain.



















Ramparts Hills
 

The Ramparts Hills are an igneous rock outcrop;  the forest on top of the Ramparts is a mixture of Ponderosa Pines, Junipers and Gambel Oak.  As you climb higher up FR 566, you'll notice many meadows, Scrub Oak and Aspen trees.  The only animals we saw were a couple of squirrels playing "chase me" around a rock outcropping, but the information sign stated there were Lynx in the area and I would have loved to have seen one of those.



 

 

The most impressive views are of the mountains; you'll see Gibbs, Burwell, Spiller and Babcock Peaks before finally reaching Mount Herperus.  Mount Hesperus is the highest peak;  it is sacred to the Navajo; can be see as far away as northeastern Arizona; and covered with snow ten months out of the year.  However, with all the snow we began to encounter as we climbed higher, we decided that sliding off the edge of the road into the canyon below was definitely not on our "to do" list for the day, or ever.  We intend on trying again now that the weather is warmer; and finally go down the southern end of FR 566 to complete the loop.

 

















After turning around and heading back the way we came, we found that the horses for Echo Basin Ranch were out grazing. The Ranch offers horse back riding, and these creatures are beautiful.  That is certainly one thing I immediately noticed once I moved out here, not just the horses, but even the cattle, are so well cared for.  Their coats are gorgeous and the physique shows health.  Back in Pennsylvania, the horses and cattle we saw at the various farms looked bone tired, dirty and basically ready to give it up and drop dead.  What a difference!

There you have it, a little side trip through the forest and up into the mountains.  It was spontaneous and it was a good time; the making of a good memory.

Mary Cokenour

Lovely Lake in the Little Valley - Vallecito.

Once we were finally settled in to living out here in the Southwest, Roy's stepmom and sister decided to introduce us to one of the most beautiful lakes in Colorado. Vallecito (means Little Valley in Spanish) Lake is located only 18 miles from Durango and was never really established as an actual town.  There is evidence that the ancient Anazasi had inhabited the area, then the Ute,  before Francisco Coronado lead his troops northward from Mexico.  They enslaved the Ute, making them work the silver and gold mines; then the French came along and finally the great expeditions to settle the Southwest.  In other words, the area named Vallecito by the Spanish which is now Vallecito Reservoir, has a busy history due to the mining and the quest for those streets paved with gold.





Nowadays Vallecito Lake is rich with campers, hikers, boaters and visitors simply looking for a peaceful, scenic and serene place to relax and enjoy life.  There are campgrounds galore all around the Lake which are run by the Forestry Service, so you'll need to reserve an area through them.   Roy and I only spent a few hours visiting the area, but I know his relatives often enjoy spending days there camping out.  The water is blue and clean; the air is crisp, and the quiet of the forest surrounds you.  The campsites are a good distance apart, so no worries about bothering, or being bothered by, your neighbor.  There are bears in the area, so you will need to take the necessary precautions concerning NOT having them visit you.

 

As I said, we only spent a few hours there, enjoying a barbecue, pleasant conversation and lovely scenery. Let me tell you though, there is nothing more relaxing then putting your feet up on a log or large rock; enjoying a fresh charcoal grilled burger, corn on the cob and other veggies. Every now and then a boater would come speeding by; the swell of the water washing up on the shore.

By the way boaters, please remember there are locals who live on the lake, yes, I said on the lake; they'd appreciate you not running them and their families over in your lust for speed.







Other local residents will expect a usage fee for being in their territory.  Squirrels and chipmunks will be looking for peanuts (still in the shell) to add to their winter larder.  During those cold, snowy days they'll be very appreciative of the friendly humans who helped build their supply.

Whether it's just for a few hours, or a few days; let a restful stop at Vallecito Lake take the stress away for awhile.  Enjoy the visit!

Mary Cokenour

Lost from Bluff to Cortez; Sort of.

When Roy and I go traveling around the Four Corners area, we don't always have a destination in mind. Basically we point the vehicle in a direction, make sure we have maps, water, snacks and a full tank of gas; then go. We have found some interesting sites; we have found places that have made us both say, "What the heck!?!; and found many places not mentioned in guide books or on maps, you just have to know they're there. So starts this adventure from Bluff, Utah to Cortez, Colorado; mainly because we just wanted to know where a road went and what we could see on it. I'm going to post a map where I've noted some names, road number changes, or pertinent information to the "wanting a beer with their meal" traveler. With the lack of, or vague, road signs on many of these roads, you're going to appreciate this.



Navajo Twins adjacent to Twin Rocks Cafe
 

We headed south on Route 191 through Blanding and White Mesa until we reached the rustic and scenic Bluff.  Bluff was settled in 1880 and was basically the last stop on the route taken by the "Hole in the Rock" Mormon pioneers.  The San Juan River runs along there allowing trees and vegetation to grow; ruins and petroglyphs hidden throughout the area; amazing sandstone formations like the "Navajo Twins" (adjacent the Twin Rocks Cafe), and "The Locomotive" (overlooking the cementary).  Pioneers from the Bluff area headed up north and settled Monticello (Abajo Mountain area) in 1888; Blanding (desert area), however, was not settled until 1905.  Blanding has the Dinosaur Museum and "Edge of the Cedars" Museum; Route 95 at the edge of town (south) leads to Natural Bridges National Monument.  It is sort of like the contrary child, since the sale of any alcoholic beverage is banned within city limits; not so for Bluff or Monticello.  I'm mentioning this for any traveler in the area who enjoys such a beverage with a meal; look to the other towns for that pleasure.

The Locomotive


 

Since we didn't start this trek until after lunch, we decided to backtrack north to a road indicating "Hovenweep" was in an easterly direction; a map indicated this was Route 262.  It is a paved road, but not well maintained, so you might find it a bit rough and bumpy in spots.  I know the map above says it is a dirt road, but its been fixed up since that map was printed way back who knows when. 




Along the way you'll see many formations in the rocky areas, if they had a specific name there were no signs indicating any.  You'll also be driving parallel to Native American Reservation land and the San Juan River can be spied now and then.  There will be two road junctions you'll come across, one to Montezuma Creek, the other to Aneth which are both situated along Route 162.  We stayed on Route 262 to see how far it actually went, and what else we could see on it.

At the end of Route 262, a road to the left leads towards Hovenweep and the Hatch Trading Post; well somehow we missed the sign and stayed on the road leading to the right.  We later found out this was Road G which would eventually bring us out onto Route 491 (S. Broadway) just north of the airport in Cortez, Colorado.  By the way, you'll see snow on the mountains; we took this ride in early spring and it was still cold up there, but not in the desert areas.  So off to Road G we go...


Now this is really a scenic, pleasant drive; the road is twisty here and there, so don't plan on driving too fast on it.  Once in awhile we would spot an abandoned building and wondered if it dated back to the early pioneers or not.  I finally had the opportunity to stop and take a photo of long horned cattle; a thrill since I'd only seen them on television.  I would have liked to not have the barbed wire in the shot, but those horns intimidated me enough to keep my distance.

Long Horned Cattle

Along the road we did pass a "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign, but seeing Sleeping Ute Mountain was also a rather large hint that we were finally over the state border and in Colorado. 

Snow Covered Sleeping Ute Mountain
 

What we didn't expect was to see a roughly made parking lot, large sandstone formations and a sign stating that this was "Canyons of the Ancients" National Monument; yep, you guessed it, not written on our map.  By this time though it was nearing sunset, since daylight savings time had not sprung into spring as yet.  As much as we wanted to explore, doing it in the darkness was not on our to-do list.

Sand Canyon Trail Entrance
 

 

As we got nearer to Cortez, we saw the snow covered mountain range of Mesa Verde (park entrance is 9 miles east of Cortez).  We immediately recognized Route 491, made the left turn towards the main area of Cortez and treated ourselves to a celebration dinner.  Celebration?  That's right, we celebrated the end of another adventure in the Four Corners area; you're not living if you're not having an adventure here.

Mary Cokenour

Camping Amongst Moonflower Canyon's Ancient Petroglyphs.

Datura (Moonflower)

In yesterday's write up on Kane Creek Blvd., I teased you with a few tidbits about Moonflower Canyon. This small box canyon is found about three miles up the road, and is appropriately named for the extensive growth of Datura (aka Moonflower, Jimsonweed, Angel's Trumpet) in the area. It is a sacred plant to the Native Americans and was used in ceremonies, mainly for the hallucinogenic properties which were needed for "vision quests".

Now I spoke with one of my Native American friends who told me that it is definitely not used anymore due to its also very toxic properties which can seriously injure brain and bodily functions, or cause death.  I'm going to get all the warnings about Datura done with now, but the gist of it is; don't eat it or you're taking your life into your own hands.  Datura is a part of the nightshade family containing naturally occurring tropane alkaloids.  These plants are essentially for landscaping, not culinary, use.  If ingested, get to the hospital immediately for treatment; it will take 24 - 36 hours for the plant to get out of the system with, hopefully, no side effects or damage.  Consider yourself thoroughly forewarned; now lets get back to Moonflower Canyon itself.

 

 

It is a completely beautiful environment with the Colorado River just across the roadway.  There are eight campsites available and this area is considered a "primitive" area with no water or electricity.  Moab is only three miles away if you need civilization, or supplies; there is a toilet facility and garbage bins, so no excuses on why you cannot keep your campsite clean.  As you explore, you will find a creek running through towards the far back of the Canyon; during rainfall, a large pothole fills with water, and sometimes a waterfall will form off the back wall.  It is a very quiet and peaceful area and your only visitors might be one of the local birds or lizards. 

The Canyon is surrounded by sandstone walls and many a cave has developed due to erosion; or perhaps helped to form by ancient hands.  I've seen folks camp in or nearby the caves; but like any campsite keep it clean, and most especially do NOT damage the sandstone walls.  You were there, but now you're gone; please don't carve your name to carry on.

 

 

Which brings me to one of the major reasons Moonflower Canyon has become a large tourist attraction, the Petroglyphs.  The petroglyphs date back about 2000 years during the Archaic Era to the Preclassic Era; basically when pottery making, loom weaving, stone grinding and drilling were in full swing.  Unfortunately these petroglyphs were seriously vandalized throughout the years, and the fencing around them doesn't keep all the "idiots" out.  Next to the "rock art" is a large split in the wall with remains of a wooden ladder inside.  It was theorized that the ancient Native Americans used this to climb up higher on the wall to carve their "writings". 

Moonflower Canyon is one of those places that, yes, you can see ancient Native American history; but it is a place that you can camp for the night, or bring a picnic meal and visit for the day.  It is one of those places that is tranquil, bringing rest to the body, mind and soul.  Enjoy the soothing.

Mary Cokenour